We drove the S with the optional six-speed automatic (which adds $2000). The 1.8-litre four-cylinder is a reasonably good thing, and it proved a competent pairing with the auto gearbox. It lacks some low-rev pulling power up hills and can be vocal as the revs rise, but offers honest performance capable of day-to-day duties.

Kia puts a lot of emphasis on its local suspension and steering improvements, and just like the sedan, the hatchback is a decent thing to drive.

The steering offers good weight and feel, though some may find it a little too hefty at low speeds. However, it doesn't display any of the clumsy attributes of some of its rivals - it's direct and accurate, and helps the car feel agile through the twisty stuff.

Related Content

The ride, too, has above average levels of compliance and comfort, though it is on the firmer side, and the rear end in particular can feel slightly busy over smaller bumps - but it never gets out of shape, even over mid-corner potholes.

The drive experience is hushed at freeway speeds, but we noted some road noise over coarser surfaces.

Inside, the Cerato hatch offers a neatly presented cabin, with excellent levels of storage and functionality, including large bottle and cup holders, and good cubbies in the doors and in the centre console, and a handy 385 litre boot.

Advertisement

The Cerato’s wheelbase has been stretched by 50mm over the previous model to 2700mm, the same space between the front and rear wheels as the much larger Sorento SUV. In terms of exterior dimensions, the new model is longer, wider and lower than before.

The cabin ambience on the S is spoiled slightly by the hard, scratchy plastics on the tops of the doors, an unpleasantly textured steering wheel and low-grade stereo without a colour media display.

However, the rest of touch-points in the car are covered in soft materials, and the seats are supportive and offer good adjustment, too. The back seat is spacious for the size of the car.

We also drove the top-spec SLi, which has the more powerful 2.0-litre engine. Again, we sampled the automatic version.

To be frank, the difference isn't night and day between the two engines, though the bigger unit is quieter at higher revs and offers more push from low in the rev-range.

The ride on the 17-inch wheels and slimmer tyres was slightly bumpier, but again, was never uncomfortable.

One of the biggest points of contention for the SLi was that it doesn't offer sat-nav as standard - it's a $1000 option, despite many rivals offering the mapping technology on cars considerably more affordable.

Overall, the new Cerato hatch is a competitive and impressive offering in the hard-fought small car segment. And given its long five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and five-year capped price servicing program, it's a viable alternative to the more mainstream models that dominate the sales charts.